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Apple has given no indication that it will even entertain the notion of an iPhone 4 product recall, let alone actually implement one. But growing calls from inside the tech world and mounting pressure from consumers and media outlets to repair the "Death Grip" may not leave Apple with much of a choice but to do so... and soon.

On the heels of the house-rocking Consumer Reports tests that were published to Apple's chagrin, further evidence that the iPhone 4's reception problems are related to hardware flaws, not software bugs may have put the final nail in the coffin for Apple on this issue. And while the jury will be officially out until Cupertino releases their promised and much awaited software update (and supposed fix), few are holding their breath in anticipation of the update actually solving the problem.

Today, our friends at Cult of Mac presented comments from PR experts who say that a massive recall could be the only way out of this PR nightmare for Apple. Because, while the sales for the iPhone 4 remain staggering, the lingering effects of this debacle - including future sales of future gen iPhones - could be irreparably damaged if the company further botches the handling of the Death Grip and its ultimate repair.

“Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” warns Professor Matthew Seeger, a so-called "expert in crisis communication." He adds: “It’s critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.” Chiming in on the matter is Dr. Larry Barton, another authority on crisis management and the author of "Crisis Leadership Now." Barton says: “Apple needs to put this fire out now. There has to be a military-like response to this issue. And we have not seen this kind of urgency.”

So far, Apple's best efforts have been to (1) deny the problem (2) try to make us think it's a software issue (3) delete negative threads about the Death Grip on Apple.com. Hardly seems like the proper way for an organization of this size to manage a crisis. And perhaps for this very reason, Apple will soon take unprecedented steps to undo the damage done by the device's flaws, and the company's own flawed response to the matter.
Cult of Mac